Magnetism
by Nianti
Summary: The beginning was one of sorrow. Will the journey and the end be the same? AlistairXF!Mahariel, rating subject to change.
1. Admission

Disclaimer: I just own Wynd and the story. World and other characters belong to Bioware.

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><p>Wynd quietly made her way through the camp, securing the perimeter. Wynne had ordered her on as much rest as possible ever since she'd caught a fever of some kind, but no self-respecting Dalish could let something so trifling stop them. Why, she'd taken much worse, back when she and Tamlen...<br>Then, it hit her. Hard. Again. Tamlen was gone. She was alone, separated from clan, home, and family.  
>Her heart rent in two all over again, as she lived through Ostagar, through losing everyone again. She shook herself, no time for that now. She had to sneak back into her tent before Wynne checked on her again. She crept back to camp but froze when she heard talking.<br>"She's a Dalish elf! You know, pointy ears, shoot-you-as-soon-as-she-sees-you? How- I mean... It... Anything more than friendship is utterly preposterous!"  
>Wynd froze, hearing Alistair's words, and her heart twisted painfully. He'd been her saving grace, as it were; his jokes, his insecurity, it was endearing to her, and it taught her that not all humans were as bad as the ones she'd dealt with before. He had stirred something in her heart that not even Tamlen, her closest companion, had awakened.<br>"You act defensive, Templar. If I didn't know better, I'd say you had feelings for her." Morrigan's cunning voice cut through, drawing Wynd to listen further. She slid into her tent.  
>"W-what? B-" Sten cut off Alistair's protest.<br>"You jump to her aid faster than any of us. You defend her more than yourself. Such is the act of someone more than a friend."  
>Wynd heard Alistair sigh.<br>"Alright. Yes, I do care about her. She... Agh, I don't know... I need time to think now."  
>Her heart constricted again, painful hope springing up to replace despair, but she quelled the feeling. Alistair said he needed time; she would give him time.<br>The next morning, she was awakened by the clash of metal instead of her dog shuffling her ear; Wynd grabbed the dagger she kept next to her pillow and darted out of her tent. With a quick maneuver, she vanished from immediate sight.  
>With the assurance of near-complete invisibility, Wynd took a moment to find the cause of the noise. Blight wolves, not true darkspawn, were attacking. Coolly, she crept to the closest one, slitting its throat before it could sense her. She moved fluidly, striking and killing each enemy that crossed her path. Her glowing silver eyes terrified her foes, when they saw her, and she even saw Sten and Validus flinch as she passed. She was a wraith, she was Death; her prey would not be denied her. One wolf launched at Alistair's back; with a scream no darkspawn could match or stand against, she knocked the wolf away, pinning and killing it with a barrage of stabs and a flurry of Elven curses. She watched the two warriors dispatch the remaining three wolves, and made her way over to the small pond to calm herself down.<br>Some time passed, and she heard cautious, armored footsteps approach. As Alistair sat next to her, she acknowledged him with a nod.  
>"I've never seen you fight like that before... I almost didn't recognize you." he said softly, gently, like he said everything. He fell quiet after that; she offered no explanation, and he asked for none. As the night progressed, she eventually broke the tension.<br>"I... I Can't... can't lose another... w-who is so important to me." She said haltingly. Alistair nodded in understanding, reaching over to comfort her. She could feel the gentle pressure of his fingertips as he started rubbing in a circular motion.  
>"There is also the fact that I'm an elf, a Dalish in particular... You know, pointy ears, shoot you as soon as I see you?" she joked quietly; she felt him flinch.<br>"Heard that, did you? I-" she hushed him, moving closer in the process.  
>"I heard what you said afterward as well. You've no reason to defend yourself to me unless you've done something truly wrong." She smiled to him, hiding her inner turmoil, before standing up and stretching. "Come on... I don't know about you, but I'm getting a bit chilled." She helped him up, and they made their way to the dying fire. Alistair piled several logs up, as Wynd prepared for sleep. She stretched one last time, and jumped as a pair of arms wrapped around her waist.<br>"You're important to me, Wynd; too important for me to stand idle when I find out you're in pain. Sleep well." Alistair whispered into her ear. He released her, and darted surprisingly quickly and quietly to his tent.

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><p>AN: Something I've been writing for about three months now; Yes, I've jumped aboard the AlistairxOC boat, because he just so adorable it hurts.


	2. Fear

Disclaimer: I just own Wynd and the story. World and other characters belong to Bioware.

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><p>They ventured further into the Brecillian forest as the day went on. Wynne, Leliana, and Alistair all marveled at the ruins and caves they passed; however, Wynd focused more on the trail they followed. The groves and clearings they passed were growing wilder and wilder, as they got closer to territory that no elf had tread upon in centuries. Validus wasn't bouncing around and sniffing as much as he had before, and Morrigan, Sten, and Zevran were oddly quiet. There was old magic here, one they all felt.<br>Wynd felt it before it happened.  
>They had been traveling along a ravine, listening for any attackers; how had they not heard it? A black shadow passed in front of the group, tackling Wynd and knocking her down...<br>Knocking her into the ravine.

Alistair went numb as he saw their Elven leader fall. He didn't hear Leliana cry out to Andraste and the Maker, didn't hear Validus howl, he didn't even hear himself screaming. Leliana shot at the thing, but it vanished into the darkness of the trees.  
>They all immediately began searching for a way down the steep walls of the ravine; the fast-flowing river down at the base disheartened the mages, but Alistair refused to believe that Wynd was lost to them. He understood, better now than ever, what she had meant last night.<br>"We aren't going to find her here. That current is too strong, too fast. She's long gone, probably dead." Morrigan stated; Alistair heard something under her frustration, though... Something that sounded like sorrow.  
>"I won't believe that she's dead until I see it with my own eyes." He replied vehemently. A growl from Validus drew the remaining party's attention; Alistair saw the golden eyes of the beast that had given Wynd to the river current; a wave of fury overtook him. Before the others could stop them, he and the mabari flew over the gully, chasing the beast as it fled. His roar of utter fury shook the forest to its taproots.<p>

"Get back here, you fool! That thing might kill you, too!" Morrigan shouted at the fleeing Warden. She jumped as Sten clapped his hand onto her shoulder.  
>"That thing will more likely become the archdemon than kill him. That kind of rage can kill a dragon. It turns even the calmest man into a bloodthirsty killer." The qunari said quietly, a look of understanding on his face. Leliana looked at the giant for a moment.<br>"Per'aps... per'aps we should split up... after all, we 'ave nearly enough people for two groups. That way, one group can search for Wynd, and the other can seek out Alistair." She suggested. The others considered a moment, before nodding. Morrigan, Leliana, and Zevran would seek Alistair, considering the ex-Templar was probably going to attract several darkspawn and who-knows-what-else. Wynne and Sten would find Wynd, considering that a fall like the one she'd taken would probably have led to several injuries.

Alistair was, internally, surprised at himself. He and Wynd's mabari hound had been chasing this black wolf-demon for what seemed like hours, yet he felt no fatigue. It felt like... Like something was supplying him with its strength, so he didn't use his own. Two crossbow bolts struck the tree in front of him, halting his progress. He turned, and found about a dozen darkspawn watching him with evil black eyes.  
>"Oh... Wynd won't be happy about this..." He unleashed his war cry, and charged at the demons. Validus let out a bloodcurdling howl, stunning the two closer creatures.<br>Alistair heard the clink of a hurlok alpha's armor, followed by a series of dull thuds, and turned from the genlocks he'd just slain. The alpha was pinned to a tree, the arrows piercing its vulnerable points with chilling accuracy. Another arrow whistled by Alistair's ear, and the last darkspawn screamed in pain. He flinched, and turned to watch the trees where the last arrow had originated, keeping his sword drawn. A pair of glowing silver eyes met his own; to his shock, Wynd limped out of the shadows with her bow in hand.

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><p>To be honest, she should've expected it; but, she didn't, so it startled her. Alistair dropped his sword, charged her, and lifted her off of her feet in a hug.<br>"I thought... We saw you falling... Maker's breath, I thought I'd lost you." He whispered; Wynd could feel his tears soaking into her armor and skin, and felt her own tears start in response. They stayed there, holding each other for a time, before he released her.  
>"We should probably go find the others again... Morrigan and Wynne won't be happy with me... I kind of..." He trailed off.<br>"Impulsively ran ahead and got separated from the party?" Wynd offered in a quiet, sweet tone. Alistair blushed.  
>"Yeah... That. Well, shall we go then?"<br>"Aye... lets..." she whispered, smiling softly. Turning, she started to limp back towards the path, and squeaked in surprise as Alistair scooped her up into his arms.  
>"Do you really think I'd allow you to possibly hurt yourself further, particularly when I can do something about it?" he crooned into her ear, causing her to blush and mumble something unintelligible.<p>

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><p>AN: The events will skip between actual canon events, and may deviate from the actual story a bit.


	3. Sorrow

Disclaimer: I just own Wynd and the story. World and other characters belong to Bioware.

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><p>Alistair watched Wynd with worry. They'd just cleared Ostagar, finding Cailan's arms, armor, and body. The last they'd committed to the Maker by a funeral pyre, after reclaiming his helm from a necromancer. The Ogre they'd battled at that point had had Duncan's blades planted in its chest and throat, and reclaiming them had seemed to shake Wynd rather badly. She now sat away from the fire, next to the pond by Bohdan's cart. She hadn't said a word after they'd left the snow-covered battlefield, not even when the others had come and questioned about their success. Rising from his place by the fire, Alistair strode over to where she sat, seemingly deep in meditation.<br>"You've been oddly quiet... are you alright? I know... I know seeing the battlefield... the king... it shook us all. But... I don't know why Duncan's blades shook you so much. I.. he was a mentor for both of us, I know... but I-"  
>"He saved my life." Wynd cut him off quietly. her eyes not moving from their stare into the pond's murky depths.<br>"Sorry?" Alistair asked, confused. He'd known when Duncan returned that the new recruit was an elf, but he didn't know details.  
>"Duncan... he saved my life, probably the lives of all my clan, except Tamlen. There... there was nothing that he, that anyone could have done to save Tamlen. Duncan is the reason I'm still here. After I left my clan... he was the only one I knew from before Ostagar. In a way, he had become my Keeper, the leader and elder of my clan. King Cailan... he treated me as an equal, whereas all humans I'd encountered before Him and Duncan... they treated me either as a beast to be feared and put down, or as a lesser creature. I... I owe them more than... more than I... I..." she cut off in a sob, bowing her head and letting her bangs hide her tears. Alistair remained quiet. He didn't know much about the elven customs, save what Wynd and Zevran had told him, but he did know that the Keeper of a Dalish clan was revered and respected above all others in the clan. His heart wrenched; before, when she'd given him the option of venting to her, she's said she understood. He realized, now, that she understood his pain far more than he'd known then. Biting his lip, he let her be for a moment, before standing, moving to face her, and pulling her into a hug. It was instinctive, not thought out, and probably not the most socially acceptable choice of his options, but it seemed the right thing to do; he felt her wrap her arms tighly around his chest and begin sobbing into his shoulder. Her words became a garbled mixture of Elven and common, muffled by her sobs against his neck. Alistair said nothing, merely holding her close and rocking a bit, like he would with a weeping child. He was glad he'd forsaken his armor for the time being; he was currently wearing only the commoner's clothes he slept in.<br>Once Wynd had calmed a bit, he pulled back so he could see her face. Her eyes were puffy and red, the tears still flowed down her cheeks. Cupping her cheek in his hand, he gently brushed away some of the stray tears that were flowing from her eyes. She took a shaky breath. before looking him straight in the eye.  
>"Why am I still alive? First it was Tamlen in the Elven ruins, then Duncan and Cailan in the battle of Ostagar. Both times, I should have died. Why am I still alive?" She asked in a voice so small that Alistair barely heard her.<br>"Wynd... I..." he sighed, "I could say one of two things; I could say something in the spirit of trying to cheer you up, or I could tell you what I believe is the honest truth. Which do you want?" He asked honestly. She bowed her head, breaking their eye contact, and didn't answer. Alistair decided to try again.  
>"I mean... I could say something like 'You're alive because the Merciful Maker didn't want me to die alone.', but you'd probably slap me." He caught a flash of a wry grin across her partially-hidden face, and continued, "Or, I could give you my honest opinion, that two Wardens have a better chance of convincing people and ending this Blight than one. And, that I'd rather be able to have you by my side, helping me, than having to face this on my own." He said this more softly than he'd said the other, carefully lifting her chin up so he could look her in the eye. Gray-green eyes pierced his own blues, shock mixing with gratefulness in her gaze.<p>

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><p>AN: This took place after the events of Return to Ostagar, a DLC quest that allows you to return to the battlefield.


	4. Reunion

Disclaimer: I just own Wynd and the story. World and other characters belong to Bioware.

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><p>They heard the things coming well before they saw them... Shrieks, blades bare and eyes burning, attacked the camp. Alistair was mobbed by them, and Wynd was struggling to escape the same fate. An arrow buzzed by her ear, imbedding itself in one of the creatures at her back. Leliana hadn't shot that arrow... no human could shoot with that kind of hunters' accuracy. Wynd froze, everything around her slowing down, as the last person she thought to see in this life stepped from the shadows, drawing sword and shield and letting out a warcry.<br>"Focus on your battle, Lethalin!" Tamlen yelled, knocking away one of the shrieks and drawing Wynd from her revere. She shook herself, and nodded. With eerie accuracy, the two fell into the pattern they'd held so long ago, Wynd's daggers guarding Tamlen's back as his shield guarded her own. They were a whirlwind, their blades dancing and their eyes aglow, his a predatory amber and hers a burning silver.  
>Once the battle was over, there was talk among the humans of fortifying the camp and moving on rather quickly. Tamlen hovered at the edge of the camp, a shadow among the trees. Wynd was distracted, quickly retreating to her place by the shallow pond. She could feel Tamlen's eyes watching her, watching them all. How he lived, she didn't know. How he'd found them, she couldn't guess. She'd seen the haze that fell over his eyes in the midst of battle, one like that of the werewolves they had saved in the Brecillian forest. It worried her, far more than the prospect of darkspawn attacking their camp. Soft footsteps, clinking with the armor of their wearer, drew near, drawing her from her thoughts.<br>"Yes, Alistair?" she asked quietly.  
>"About the... Dalish, who has taken to patrolling our camp... is it him? The one you told me about, who...?" the ex-Templar trailed off, probably seeing her tense.<br>"...aye..."

It was no more than a breath, not even a whisper, but it sent a cold blast of fear and regret through him. Alistair still had the fresh memory of Wynd's breakdown in his mind; this event, this reappearance of one she held so close to her heart, would likely bring the end of her relationship with him. Alistair feared that, and feared it greatly. Wynd was his dawn in the darkness of the Blight; he cared deeply for her. Judging by the way she had acted not even a week prior, Tamlen was either an adopted brother or an old lover to her, and Alistair suspected the latter. Seeing her tense a bit, he sighed, and draped the blanket he'd brought for her over her shoulders.  
>"It's too cold to be away from the fire with no protection from frost... Wynne is making some hot stew if you're interested." He murmured to her, before rising and making his way back to the fire. Halfway there, the new elf approached him, eyes unreadable and shoulders straight.<br>"You are Alistair?" He asked, watching Alistair's reaction. The ex-Templar nodded.  
>"Then you are the one I must thank for taking care of my clan sister. I watched you as you spoke with her; it calmed her somewhat... I believe... I believe she thought me dead..." Tamlen seemed to grow quiet, waiting for Alistair's response.<br>"Actually... your... clan sister? She is the reason some of us are here and alive. I cannot speak for the others, but I, Sten, and possibly Wynne, would be dead, were it not for her..." Alistair paused, wondering if it was wise to reveal what Wynd had told him. He sighed, and thought it best if the elven warrior know what their unspoken leader had believed in the past months. "She did believe you lost to us. It... hurt her. Badly. I don't know much about who she was before she joined the ranks of the Wardens, but... I do know that whatever happened then still affects her now. She nearly broke less than a week ago, but she's hidden it by now... please, don't break her again." The last request was barely a whisper, but Alistair knew the Dalish had heard it, from the shock and sorrow that crossed his green amber eyes. He pursed his lips, and sighed.  
>"I will do my best, human. All I ask is that you attempt the same." with that, Tamlen turned and moved quietly toward Wynd, silently taking a seat next to her. Alistair shook his head, and took his place by the fire.<p>

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><p>AN: And, here begins the deviation. Took me a few days (after finishing this) to figure out how Tamlen was alive and still elven...


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